This part of the debate made me squirm, because it had that element of gotcha, that I feel it’s just too darn early for.

For what it’s worth, I thought John Edwards had the best response (and the only one to really answer the question as asked) that no, he didn’t believe that prayer could help us avert disasters, but that didn’t mean he stopped praying.

Bill Richardson has the response that would have been closest to mine - that yes he prayed and that his prayers were private.

This country is sooooo great!

Everyone here has been able to express whatever they believe because, as Jane pointed out so great, “we need to be cognizant of the constitutional protecton of free exercise of religion”—and I”ll add—sensitive to people of any form of faith.

The fact that this blog conversation exists is reason to celebrate and thank all those who served & gave their lives for our country.
I can choose to worship or not to worship and my country won’t bug me either way!
I wish everyone in the world enjoyed the same freedoms we do.

That’s the pragmatic argument. But beyond that, I think we need to be cognizant of the constitutional protection of free exercise of religion, and sensitive to people who do have faith. Like I said, given the choice between averting your eyes and raising a sh*tstorm, sometimes averting your eyes is the better way to go, e.g. town christmas displays.

The Golden Rule is a pretty good standard of morality that doesn’t mention a deity. And history is full of atrocities committed by believers in the name of God - and not just history, current events too.

I think that whole “separation of church and state” concept is a good one, and was a founding principle of this country for good reason. Belief and/or religious practice is a personal thing, sometimes a community thing, but I’m disturbed by how it’s increasingly a political thing as well.

I’m an atheist. Everybody hide! We bite!

I agree with your point Joanne, that if prayer helps a andidate on a personal level, then go for it. But…I do get a bit weirded out by the importance faith–and let’s face it when we say faith it is always Christianity–plays in American politics.

Although many people have told me that they consider a candidate’s religion to be related to character, I don’t think a lack of prayer indicates that someone is without moral character. Nor do I think that a belief in God makes someone of upstanding character. The two are unrelated. And yes, it disturbs me as well that this drives voting choices for some people.

Clearly I have no strong feelings about this, PM!

I’m not sure how Rove tarred the democrats with the secularist label, but I am quite certain that the association has hurt, not helped democrats. People who have a problem with christmas displays in the town square should just avert their eyes. It doesn’t hurt anyone, and the displays are not contrary to what our founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the constitution.And it’s just fodder for the OReillys of the world. My two cents.

So I’m happy the candidates paid lip service and/or voiced their sincerely held beliefs on the topic, if only to reassure the wingnuts the democrats are not going to ruin christmas.